Cardinal Cougar
Basic Info Name: Kristo Cantu Gender: Male Age: 24 Weight: 220 lbs Hair Color: Reddish-Brown Eye Color: White Alignment: JLA/Ultimates (Marvel 2015) Mentor: Wonder Woman/Black Panther Power: Fire/Combustion Movement: Acrobatics Weapon Classification: Martial Arts/Staff Aliases: Xabalanque, Ocreauan Wonder (By T'Challa after being initiated into the Ultimates), Jungle Boy, Mowgli (By his father - Jesu Cantu and later T'Challa), Crimson, Stoneface (His classmates in reference to his quiet manner) "He was born with vengeance in his heart, just like his father. He never forgets." - Marisol Cantu Background (Origins) Kristo Cantu was born in the hidden nation of Ocreau on July 14, 1993 to his father - Jesu Cantu - a former leader of Ocreau in the 1970's in which he created relations with the nation of Wakanda, and his mother - Marisol Cantu - one of the first female warriors of Ocreau and the most honorable of them all. Kristo was a quiet child and has remained humble throughout his lifetime thus far and has a stoic attitude/manner about him. As friendly as he was, Kristo's introverted social manner caused those around him to avoid contact. Without any distractions, this became an advantage to his upbringing as the Cardinal Cougar. In 2003, a dispute between two Afro-Latinx nations broke out, the conflict was known as the Fosmoasia Ambush. All hell broke loose within the small island nation of Ocreau and great fires ravaged the forests and cityscapes. Cantu jumped out of bed alarmed by the events, eventually witnessing his father's death in an attempt to save the civilians of their beloved nation from the fires raging on in their village, while the Fosmo Empire captured his mother as she was trying to protect the no longer hidden borders of Ocreau. With that, Kristo was left alone with no immediate family left. Years of reform took place and just as Kristo grew, Ocreau grew alongside him. Development and reconstruction of vital villages, cities and natural wonders began and soon enough Kristo was working to rebuild it on his own time, learning responsibility and the accountability of his people. His father was one of the last known influential figures of Ocreau and it naturally lead to the public looking towards the boy as a future leader and warrior just as his parents were. At the age of 15 on the 5th anniversary of the Fosmoasia Ambush, Ocreau was attacked yet again but this time the entire nation was prepared. Defense mechanisms were in place and everyone was accountable for their own safety. The nation's strongest warriors were trained by Kristo under an intense form of Capoiera (Later named Cantu-danmaku). At this time Kristo grew to be about 6'3" and weighed 230 lbs, packing on muscle after years of preparation with the sole purpose of redeeming Ocreau's pride and dignity. In this moment, Cantu gained the name that's been echoed through legends and myths across similar island nations around the world. Time seemed to slow down, the set up was unusual and eerie. Trapped under a wooden beam was one of his former classmates, begging for help as the flames slowly edged towards his face. Jesu - Kristo's father - culminated as a spirit beside him and told him to embrace the flames. This was no easy feat, he could feel the flames gnawing at his skin. Yelling as he lifted the beam, he began to feel the fire course through his veins and pain was no longer a sense. Kristo had adapted and learned from his father's lessons in that short time. He managed to save the entire nation of Ocreau and tamed the element that brought pain and suffering to his father and the nation that he loved for years. Years later, Kristo became known as the Cardinal Cougar. Cardinal Cougar was ready for any threat that decided to grace upon the land of Ocreau and has yet to let his people down. In 2015, the Ultimates of Earth-616 were formed and due to his father's relationship with T'Challa and Wakanda, Kristo was brought in as an apprentice to the Black Panther. It wasn't until 2017 that he was recognized by the JLA and has participated in both factions, recognized for his magical powers and love for Mother Earth and his homeland by Wonder Woman. Appearance/Meaning As a result of taming the flames, Kristo recieved burn scars in the form of tribal tattoos, an aesthetic formed by Jesu as he curved and bent the fire across his skin. Technological efforts came as a result of his father's relations to Wakanda, mentioned earlier. In 2015, Kristo was gifted a vibranium suit by T'Challa (Black Panther) with a mystic outline which represented the rivers that flow throughout the Ocreauan Mainland, boots that have the Cantu crest etched into the leggings. His gauntlets are clawed specifically for his associated animal, the cougar. The belt that he wears has the Ocreuan Crest. While he initially wished for the symbol to be placed on his chest to represent the heart and fire Ocreau has, it was decided it'd be placed around his waist to represent that his people keep him grounded and hold the same amount of responsibility while he's away from the country. Cardinal represents both the shade of red upon his suit in various versions as well as the definition of importance and fundamentalism, although Kristo can be one of the most spontaneous heroes at that. Cougar is pretty much as straight forward as can be. Cardinal Cougar dons a simple cowl that only reveals his bright white eyes. This is done in honor of his mentor and brother-figure Black Panther, who wears a similar cowl with a minor difference in ears and detail. The mask has a domino/devil type design which is a darker tint of red. Arch Nemisis Not much has developed as to who Cardinal truly pits himself against in this dual-universe, especially at such a young age. The only formidable opponent happens to be Hunahpu, a similar archetype to that of Kristo only to be revealed that this is his brother. In short, Hunahpu was born in Fosmoasia, a year after the Fosmoasia Ambush by Kristo's mother after escaping the grasp of the Fosmo empire. The story is yet to be told about the bitter rivalry and anger between these two. Capabilities And Powers Cardinal Cougar's primary ability revolves around fire, literally. His strength and life force comes from just how bright his flame burns within. From the night of the second Fosmoasia Ambush we learned that fire courses through his veins and that he is able to control it as a force. Not only is his skin resistant to fire, his suit adds extra protection but also houses the heat within to power the natural lights through the family and country crest etched into the suit. His essence of fire however does not backfire on him (pun intended), Cardinal Cougar has been seen plenty of times running across the rivers of Metropolis without fail. Water is not a weakness, but brute strength and being overwhelmed leads to his downfall several times. Jungle Mentality: Cardinal Cougar is able to traverse any landscape regardless of the material. Whether it be a skyscraper or the canopies of a rainforest, he's able to climb and run on anything just as a wildcat is able to. He's extremely agile and has massive hangtime, while also being able to grapple onto areas if he needs to retreat quickly. Cardinal Cougar continues to leap and pounce around the world as we speak. Flame Resistant/Energy Absorption: As mentioned earlier, Cardinal Cougar takes no damage from fire but is not weak to opposing forces that would naturally put fire out. Instead, he is able to absorb both the energy and flames for his own benefit and protection Word Of Force: On a mission with the Ultimates and Avengers working together, Cardinal Cougar was struck by one of Thor's lightning bolts as he was trying to leap in front of an attack on Black Panther. He was severely injured but due to the capabilities of his suit and body to absorb any form of energy, it wasn't as dangerous as it could've been. This experience led to a constant shock of electricity running throughout his body. He then calls upon Thor during drastic measures to provide a lightning bolt that held similar strength to the one that struck him. This provides an energy boost for himself and his group members while damaging his foes. Flame Manipulation: Cardinal Cougar can do anything you could possibly think of. In his case, Flame manipulation carries a sense of ability similar to that of Green Lantern. He can form fire into certain shapes and objects, or he can simply use fire in it's natural and wild state. Self-Sacrifice/The Cry Of Ocreau: Cardinal Cougar has only used this ability once in a battle with his brother Hanahpu. After a third attack by the Fosmoasian people with Hanahpu as their leader, the city of Ocreau was destroyed with the disbelief and disappointment of Kristo's people. Hanahpu proceeded to tell Kristo that his mother had initially left because she thought he and his father were hopeless and good for nothing. As fire seemed to be the only element around them, Hanahpu failed to realize Kriso's strength. Filled with sadness and rage, he absorbed the flames that engulfed the entire country and with a sharp shout to the sky, he called upon his father and his mentors. Clapping his hands, the flames burst out of his palms, his suit and of course his body. Every fiber within him had been sacrificed as an apology for the people of Ocreau and the dismay of his friends and newfound family. The Cry Of Ocreau has the most devastating yet beautiful displays of raw nature. This event took place ten years after the first Fosmoasia Ambush and five after the second Fosmoasia Ambsuh. Other Info And Influences Cardinal Cougar is a DC Universe Online character owned by Common Vibe (joshuakristofer) created on October 21st, 2017. (Date in case I ever decided to write a full fledged story on this). His origin story and story overall is highly influenced to that of Black Panther in the sense of a hidden country, yet not as advanced as Wakanda and the pride he has for his country. Cardinal Cougar was only 22 when he was recruited into the Ultimates by Black Panther, four years later he fought alongside Black Panther in conflicts that do not involve Civil War (Continuity judged by MCU Timeline. Ultimates takes place in 2015 while Spiderman: Homecoming is supposed to take place in 2020). Cardinal Cougar and Black Panther's relationship is inspired by the Jungle Book. Mowgli is a nickname given by his father - Jesu Cantu - at an early age. This is then adopted by T'Challa who represents Bagheera from the Jungle Book and learns of this through his shortlived friendship with Jesu. He is Roman Catholic which derives the term/name Cardinal and his first name Kristo which translates to Christ. He can also be seen wearing the same basic cowl with a cross influenced design. Cardinal Cougar and Hanahpu's story arc and his overall story is inspired and slightly taken verbatim to that of the Maya Hero Twins of Mayan culture. The story revolves around Xbalanque (Cardinal Cougar, who also gains this nickname from natives of Central America that he protects.) while his brother both in the CC timeline and Maya Hero Twins actual story is Hanahpu. In the MHT they get along and fight along side each other as heroes. In the CC story, they are pitted against each other and don't know of each other's existence until the age of 20 during the third Fosmoasia Ambush. Black Panther erected a statue of a cougar next to one of his panther statues in the nation of Wakanda in honor of CC's preconcieved "death" during the Third Fosmoasia Ambush. It's quoted by his mother and T'Challa that Cardinal Cougar never forgets, his experiences and memories are a part of his strengths and lead to the culmination of his powers (See Background: First Fosmoasia Ambush and Powers and Capabilities: Cry Of Ocreau). He doesn't take anything lightly whether it be physical or verbal, he enforces the emotion you evoke upon him. He's very headstrong but patient just as his father was and never gives up even if death is a possible result. This thread will continue to grow. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked the story! This literally started from one hour of playing DCU: Online, so I'm pretty proud of how far I thought into it! - Joshua-Kristofer TubesCategory:Heroes Category:Justice Teens of America member Category:Martial Arts Category:Fire Category:Acrobatics